“Brad Paisley is not doing his job if he doesn’t look down there and go ‘Ha ha!’’ Shelton tells Late Night With Seth Myers host Seth Meyers. It’s the elephant in the room, he adds, and he expects it to be recognized. In fact, he’s even talked to Paisley about it.

“We’ve had the conversations like, ‘Okay, dude. I’ll sit there and let you kick me in the face a few times.’ I know it’s coming.”

The 2015 CMA Awards are on Nov. 4 at 8PM ET on ABC. There were three major country separations in the last six months, including Reba McEntire’s split from husband Narvel Blackstock and Jake Owen’s divorce from wife Lacey. Of the three, Shelton’s split seems to be the biggest target for humor if only because of his personality. He’s certainly not afraid to crack a joke at someone’s expense himself, and as a host of another awards show, he knows Underwood and Paisley have a duty.

“This year’s gonna be awkward at the CMAs, speaking of jokes,” the two-time 2015 nominee says. He’s previously shared that he and Lambert are still friends, and neither has said a disparaging word or explained any of the circumstances around their split. They were married for four years when they announced their divorce in July.